TPMS

Vehicle technology advances at an incredible rate, and sometimes it’s hard to see how we transitioned to where we are now.

Since the introduction of the tubeless tyre, we no longer suffer from the notorious ‘blow out’. There are situations where we may experience ‘rapid deflation’, but true blowouts simply can’t occur. More recently we tended to notice that one of our tyres looks a ‘little bit low’ and surmise that we may have what we all refer to as a ‘slow puncture’.

Step forward a few more years though, and cars are heavier, wheels are larger, tyres have slimmer and stiffer sidewalls, and it’s much harder to notice when the pressure is low, either visually or even when driving. Put simply, punctures are harder to spot.

Low tyre pressures and ‘slow’ punctures are detrimental in many ways, including fuel consumption, emissions, handling, stopping distances, and they can ultimately lead to irreparable tyre damage, so vehicle manufacturers introduced Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems to keep the motorist advised at all times.

Furthermore, TPMS has been mandated on all new cars since 2014 and a TPMS warning light became and MOT failure in January 2015. Put simply, if TPMS is fitted then it has to be functioning correctly in order to receive an MOT test pass certificate.

All of our GTC Tyres and Autocare branches carry TPMS testing devices, as well as a full range of service and repair kits so you no longer have to go to a man dealer, and we can service your valves and sensors at any of our depots.

Our TPMS Service kits start at £12 (depending on the model) and replacement TPMS sensors start at just £72.

Puncture Repairs

If you do have a warning light on, or you spot that one of your tyres looks low on pressure then Don’t Just Leave It. We are more than happy to help, and can carry out repairs in all of our depots.

Puncture repairs start at £18 for a loose wheel or £21 for a wheel on the vehicle.

We carry out all repairs to the industry standard laid out by BS AU 159f to ensure your safety and the quality of the repair. This means that there are limitations to what can be repaired, but we will always advise and show you if a repair cannot be made safely.

We can also carry out a ‘bead seal’ where air is escaping between the tyre and a corroded wheel, and in the event of a puncture being outside of the approved ‘cold vulcanising’ repair area, we can arrange a ‘hot vulcanised’ Major Repair if it is a viable option.

Repairs are not advised on Run Flat tyres, and as a result it is our policy to replace the punctured tyre.